Cape Town to Nairobi Overland Safari & Participation Camping
Classic
Touch down in eight different countries on this truly epic overland adventure. Visit the world’s highest sand dunes, float through the Okavango in a traditional “mokoro” canoe, and meet the San people living in the Kalahari Desert. From jaw-dropping scenery to incredible wildlife this 40-day trip will provide you with a deeper understanding of this incredible slice of the world.
Highlights
Observe the “big five” from 4x4 safari vehicles, Enjoy yourself in the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town, Travel into the wilderness of the Okavango Delta in a traditional dugout canoe, Stand on the banks of the thundering Victoria Falls, Kick back and relax on the shores of Lake Malawi, Witness a sunset in the dunes of the Namib Desert, Search for wildlife on the Chobe River
Accomodation
Camping in Africa is truly an adventure. You will be able to get off the beaten track to get a first-hand experience of the beautiful wilderness and nature. While camping, we stay at designated campsites in national parks and outside towns. Campsite facilities in southern Africa are generally good, but can be basic in certain places. There are generally small restaurants and/or bars, flush toilets, showers (generally outdoors, some with simple reed enclosures), washing facilities and telephones available. Additionally, warm water is available at most sites, but it is not guaranteed to always be warm when you take your shower; the warm water may be used up others who also use the camp. We usually set-up camp within close proximity to the toilet facilities, though occasionally to reach them you may to walk a short distance. They are good quality, durable, industry-standard 2-person safari canvas tents. Please note that most adults will not be able to fully stand up inside the tents, though most travellers find these more than adequate, as they have a base area of approximately 4 square meters. These tents are regularly treated with a waterproofing agent, but under certain rainy conditions, the tent fabric may become saturated to the point where seepage or leakage may occur. All tents have built-in mesh insect netting on the windows and doors. We travel with our own portable camp chairs with a comfortable back-rest, and we utilize our own cooking equipment to provide the group good quality camp meals. Wild or Bush Camping Your camping experience in the Okavango Delta is fondly called “bush camping”, as we camp wild on remote islands, away from civilization and its comforts, and completely surrounded by nature – an unbelievable experience some in fact feel is the highlight of the trip. Wild/bush camps have no facilities - this will be the most basic night of our trip, as there is no running water, no showers, nor toilet facilities - we will take our own water and all equipment. Wild camping can be very enjoyable, however please remember that we leave no trace of our stay and take all rubbish away with us. Toilets will be of the "dig and bury" variety. Wild camping is the ultimate African bush experience as we camp right in amongst the wildlife, so there is a possibility of elephant and other wildlife coming very close to camp. Your safari guides will have your safety as a priority, so please ensure that you obey all their bush camping instructions. Guesthouse/Lodge/Bugalows In Swakopmund, we stay in backpacker's (hostels), which will give us a break from camping and to be better located than the campgrounds in the area. Here, the accommodation is based on several people sharing dormitory-style rooms, with possibly 7 to 16 people sharing a room. Although we will try, we cannot guarantee to be able to divide the group into different dormitories based on gender lines. As such, males and females may have to share the same sleeping quarters for these nights. The bathrooms and showers are private, but may also be shared between both males and females. 3 nights on Zanzibar Island we will stay in bungalows that have basic twin share rooms with en suite bathrooms. Please be aware that where we use multi-share accommodations, rooming requests of any kind cannot be taken. Simple Hotel 1 night in Cape Town and 1 night in Windhoek we will stay in twin rooms. In camping within the national parks and conservation areas, some camp sites are enclosed for keeping the resident wildlife out. Other camps are open to the natural environment – care must be taken, especially at night, when a torch/flashlight is recommended when walking around the camp area. The campsite in Serengeti National Park is extremely basic, with no electricity, simple bathing facilities (no showers), and both seated and squat flushing toilets. While camping at the Ngorongoro Crater rim, there is very limited electricity, occasionally warm showers, and squat flushing toilets. The campsites for the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are open sites, where the wildlife can wander into the area, but they are safe. Despite the challenge that a few days “roughing it” may pose to some, the experience of being that close to nature, camping under the African stars, and seeing incredible wildlife at your tent door-step is not just gratifying but ultimately an experience of a lifetime, and seeing incredible wildlife at your tent door-step is not just gratifying but ultimately an experience of a lifetime. In Zanzibar, we stay in standard, twin-share accommodation in Stone Town and on the beach. Please note that our Zanzibar Beach Resort location is subject to change due to availability. Please note that due to the high demand for accommodation in the parks, sometimes we will arrange alternative accommodation outside of the park. For private accommodation please see tours in our Classic/Standard Travel Style.
Group Leader
On this tour, you will be accompanied by two Chief Experience Officers (CEOs). The Chief Experience Officers (CEOs) will be the grou
- Camping and Glamping
- Safari, Animals, and Wildlife
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As mentioned above, most of the meals on this tour are included in the tour price. When a meal is not included, this is because there are often many options available - we would like to give you the opportunity to explore a bit and test the local cuisine yourself. In these cases, your CEO will be able to suggest some good local restaurants or options for you to choose from. All included meals will be prepared from fresh local produce. The majority of the shopping for foodstuffs will be done before the trip departs, and fresh goods, such as meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, will be bought en route during the trip from supermarkets, local shops and markets. Breakfasts will generally consist of breads and cereals, if time allows a warm breakfast may be prepared. Many lunches will be provided en-route and will be light meals such as sandwiches and/or salads. All evening meals will be freshly-prepared hot meals, and will consist of a variety of continental and local dishes. Our cook will organize the meal preparation and lead the way here, but will prepare a duty schedule for ensuring a fair, rotating participation from you and your group members in the meal preparation and dish washing duties. Vegetarian meals and other dietary requirements need to be specified prior to arrival. Please note all bottled drinking water while on safari will be at your own expense.
What To Take
Additional Items:• Sleeping bag (required)Cold weather:• Long-sleeved shirts or sweater• Scarf• Warm gloves• Warm hat• Warm layersDocuments:• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)• Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)• Passport (required) (With photocopies)• Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)• Visas or vaccination certificates (With photocopies)Essentials:• Toiletries (required) (Shampoo, bodywash, soap, etc.)• Binoculars (optional)• Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)• Cash, credit and debit cards• Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)• Ear plugs• First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)• Fleece top/sweater• Footwear• Hat• Headphones (Noice-cancelling recommended)• Locks for bags• Long pants/jeans• Moneybelt• Outlet adapter• Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)• Reusable water bottle• Shirts/t-shirts• Sleepwear• Small travel towel• Sunglasses• Swimwear• Watch and alarm clock• Waterproof backpack cover• Windproof rain jacketHealth & Safety:• Face masks (Clients will be only be required to wear a face mask where it is mandated by local regulations.)• Hand sanitizer• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)Warm Weather:• Sandals/flip-flops• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)• Sturdy water shoes/sandals• Sun hat/bandana• SwimwearNote: Seasons in Africa are quite extreme. Winters can be really cold and summers will be really hot. If you travel during winter months (May to October) please ensure that you bring warm clothing and a suitable sleeping bag.
Group Leader Description
On this tour, you will be accompanied by two Chief Experience Officers (CEOs). The Chief Experience Officers (CEOs) will be the group manager and leader, cook and driver. They will provide information on the places where we are travelling, offer suggestions for things to do and see, and introduce you to our local friends. They will take care of the small things so you can concentrate on enjoying your adventure.All of our CEOs in southern and East Africa are experienced group leaders, with a broad knowledge base of the region’s history, cultures, and wildlife. Your leader will be from either southern or East Africa depending on which part of the tour you are on. All of our overland adventure vehicle (OAV) drivers are experienced in the routes travelled, and highly skilled in dealing with different terrains. All of our cooks will organize and lead the meal preparation, and have experience in cooking a variety of local and international dishes for large groups. In the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater to round out the team, along with your CEO, you will be accompanied by a local safari crew consisting of an expert driver/guide and camp cook. Your driver/guide is skilled and experienced driver and a certified safari guide, and is an integral part of the team. As well, your cook will prepare the camp meals to add some further local flavour to the trip. We also use local guides for some included activities where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting.
Change the world just by having the time of your life.
We have always believed in the life-changing power of travel, but for that power to exist we need to travel the right way. Since the very beginning, G Adventures’ vision for travelling responsibly has meant giving back as much — if not more — than what you take away. Yes, travel should be incredibly fun (have you been on one of our tours?), but we also believe travel needs to be a force for good. For you, for local communities around the world, and for the world itself — we call it “community tourism.” See how we do it below.
G For Good
A lot of companies use “sustainability” or “sustainable travel” to talk about exploring the world in a better way, but we’ve never been ones to follow in others’ footsteps or borrow out-dated ideas. Our commitment to making travel a force for good is different — so we call it G for Good.
It stands for all of the social, environmental, and ethical good we create as a business which helps to fuel community tourism. Which is… you ask? It means our tours are built on meaningful relationships with local communities and directly benefit the people and places we visit. Today, our definition of community tourism means that the communities we positively impact ripples far beyond these destinations, to include our employees, supplier and agent partners, small business owners, customers, social followers, and travellers like you.
G for Good is what makes us, us. With your help, we can make travel the force for good we’ve known it can be since our company was established over three decades ago.
Acting Responsibly
Our efforts to protect and conserve our world fall under two approaches. The first, Acting Responsibly, is our commitment to improve the sustainability of our own operations. You can’t create change without taking action — so that’s what we’ve done. If you want to make sure your next trip follows these guidelines, all you have to do is travel with us!
Animal Welfare
G Adventures recognizes the importance of animal welfare. That’s why we have worked with experts from World Animal Protection, The Jane Goodall Institute and The World Cetacean Alliance to draw up a robust policy, which builds on the ABTA Global Welfare Guidelines for Animals in Tourism and puts the needs of animals first. We want to ensure that all animals featured on our tours are treated humanely.
Child Welfare
It is critical that no child is ever harmed as a result of tourism. Travellers have the power and responsibility to make a true impact in the communities they visit, and that’s why we actively work to ensure child welfare is protected in the places we operate. We were also the first global travel company to achieve Friend’s International ChildSafe certification.
Climate Action
With all the good global travel does for local communities, it’s an unfortunate truth that the industry produces environmentally harmful carbon dioxide. That’s why we signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and got to work on halving our carbon footprint by 2030. Want to know exactly how we and our travellers are going about it? Read on to review our full Climate-Biodiversity Action Plan.
Respecting local cultures
Connecting curious travellers with Indigenous communities is an essential part of our identity at G Adventures. We are committed to respecting the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people while ensuring that tourism supports their well-being.
Creating Positive Impact
Creating Positive Impact is our second approach to responsible travel. These initiatives focus on leaving the right impact in the places you visit with us.
Established in 2003, Planeterra is our non-profit partner dedicated to ensuring communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides. They help empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours.
Planeterra-supported initiatives
Our mission has always been a simple one — to help people thrive through solutions, not handouts. We do this by providing the resources and opportunities for local people in the areas we serve, enabling them to develop and strengthen their initiatives with support from Planeterra. Then, our network of travellers provide these communities with the long-term income to make these solutions sustainable.
Ripple Score
You deserve to see exactly what we mean when we say we’re changing lives through travel. Our Ripple Score does just that. On a scale of one to 100, this score shows you how much of your money spent in destination goes towards using local services on your tour. The higher the score, the more money that is staying in the local community. Look for it on your trip itinerary.
G Values Fund
Our CEOs are the best tour leaders the world has to offer. The G Values Fund helps them further provide amazing experiences to our travellers with low interest loans that bring their travel business ideas to life.
Grow one tree for every travel day
Help us spread love around the world — with Trees for Days! Thanks to a new initiative with Planeterra, we’ll grow a tree in your name for each day of your trip.
LGBTQ+ inclusivity at G Adventures
Our team around the world deeply values diversity, inclusivity, and the power of community. Every traveller deserves to feel valued and to be their authentic selves on their journey with us. See all of the ways we wholeheartedly embrace and support the LGBTQ+ community on tour, in our culture, and around the world.
Additional Responsible Travel Commitments
Here are more ways you can see our commitment to spreading G for Good around the world.
Go. Grow. Love.
Trees for Days, our latest initiative in partnership with Planeterra and Reforest, aims to spread love around the world — with trees! For each and every day a traveller is on an adventure with us, we grow a tree in their name. Armed with trees and a shovel, our mission is simple: to help communities around the world adapt to the growing impacts of climate change. Want to help spread the love with your very own grove of trees? All you need to do is book a trip — we’ll take care of the rest.
How do we spread love with trees? It’s easy.
With help from our partners, we work with local communities to grow and maintain our trees. Here’s how the magic unfolds:
- You go on an adventure
As soon as your trip is booked and paid for, we start sourcing your tree bundle — one tree is grown for every day of your travels. - We grow your trees
Our reforesting process gets underway! We grow, maintain, and make sure your trees have all the love they need to thrive in their new environment. - Watch your love unfold
Want to see the difference you’re making? Log in to your G Adventures account to track how many trees you have grown, where they live and, if you’re in the mood, add a few more to your grove!
Why do we love trees? Let us count the ways.
Trees are majestic, everyone knows that. But beauty and grace aside, trees play a vital role in restoring our planet. They absorb harmful gasses like carbon dioxide and release oxygen in exchange — hello, clean air! For a wide range of wildlife species, like three-toed sloths and macaques, trees provide crucial habitats, food, and shelter. And when natural disaster regrettably strikes — droughts, floods, extreme weather events — trees play a critical role in building resistance to the impact. So, yes, while trees are undeniably majestic, they’re so much more than that.
Our global tree-nitiative
Where in the world will your trees be spreading their love? To start, we’ve outlined multiple projects in dire need of reforestation. From Argentina and Uganda to Thailand and Nepal, you’ll help us grow trees in a wide range of communities all over the map.
Why travel with G Adventures?
We’ve been the leaders in small group adventure travel for 30+ years. How’d we get here? By listening to our travellers and giving them what they want: flexible itineraries, freedom to explore, smaller groups, safety and peace of mind, and locally based guides who show you your destination in a way you’d miss travelling any other way. What does the future of travel look like? This.
Dream big. Travel small.
The trip of your dreams doesn’t need a Hollywood-sized budget or years of planning. Simply join a small group of like-minded travellers that, like you, are eager to experience all the things that make our world worth exploring.
Join 10-to-12-ish fellow adventurers.
We keep our groups small to create a sense of camaraderie and allow for closer connections to the places and people you visit. Most of our land tours have no more than 16 travellers and usually average 10-12 people.
Solo travellers, step right up
All our trips are solo-traveller-friendly, so you can enjoy the safety, support, and camaraderie we’re known for, even if you’re travelling alone. To keep costs fair, we’ll pair you with a same-sex roommate, or you can upgrade to My Own Room. Want trips exclusively for solo travellers? Check out our Solo-ish Adventures, designed for connection and packed with extra solo perks.
You’re going to need a smaller boat.
If you’re more the sea-faring type, we’d love to welcome you aboard any of the intimate vessels in our fleet. Whether you’re venturing to the Antarctic on the G Expedition or floating down French canals on a river barge, our ships carry a smaller number of passengers so you can enjoy your journey with plenty of room while still making connections.
Our guides are all CEOs.
At G Adventures, we don’t have tour guides — we have Chief Experience Officers. Our founder, Bruce Poon Tip, gave up his title as CEO because he felt they needed a proper title to reflect how integral they are to giving you an exceptional travel experience. (But don’t worry, they won’t be using any office attire or business jargon.)
Locally based = local experts.
Our CEOs are locally based, meaning they know the area you’re exploring like the back of their well-travelled hand. They plan visits around the best times to visit (or avoid) the most popular spots, can help you choose local restaurants, and generally give you great tips on the best things to experience. And since they usually speak the local language, they are your go-to resource for anything that comes up.
Local support. All. The. Time.
All CEOs are supported by our local operations teams 24/7. If something comes up that your CEO can’t help you with (however unlikely that is), the team nearby is there to support them in keeping you safe and happy.
Your experience is their focus.
We want you to have the time of your life — that’s why we hire the smartest, friendliest, bestest CEOs around. It’s their mission to make sure you return home feeling like your life has truly been changed.
Travel like you live there.
Since our very first tour, our goal has been to connect travellers with local communities on a deeper level. These connections go beyond personal ones to help give back to the wider community of your destination and ensure the people who live there get as much as they give. Changing the world is easy — all you have to do is have the time of your life.
You stay local. So does your money.
Multi-floor, thousand-room hotel behemoths? Not on our tours.
We go for the connections, charm, and authenticity that can only be found in local accommodations, transport, and restaurants. This also allows us to stay at smaller hotels and eat at restaurants with fewer people. Plus, using local service providers helps support the local economy and the people that make the places we travel so special.
Giving back through community tourism.
We’ve been pioneers of community tourism since the day we started. But what is that? It means we have always created our tours by building meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefiting the people and places we visit, including Indigenous peoples, women, youth — anyone who has traditionally been marginalized or undervalued. Today, our definition has grown: the communities we impact ripples far beyond our destinations. To us, it includes our employees, supplier and agent partners, small business owners, customers, social followers, and travellers just like you. There's incredible power in being part of something bigger than yourself. Want in?
Enjoy more flexibility than a yoga class
Adventure is all about having the freedom to follow your curiosity and discovering the unknown. No matter the Travel Style, our tours balance well-planned itineraries with the flexibility to do your own thing and explore a bit on your own. From optional activities to free time, you can choose an adventure that will feel truly like your own.
Whoa, that’s a lot of tours.
We have tons of tours. No, really. Tours for you, your family, your friends, your buddy from work who really likes nature documentaries. First trip ever and want to see all the highlights? Got that. Heading to your seventh continent and want to be treated like the experienced wanderer you are? Got that too. Our 10 unique Travel Styles group tours together into themes based on what you like or how you want to travel.
Personalize your tour.
Squeeze every last drop of adventure out of your tour by customizing it to your liking. Add on amazing optional activities throughout your tour like hikes, local cooking classes, or helicopter rides depending on where you’re headed. Want extra time for exploring? Book pre- or post-trip accommodations before or after your tour. Or let us give you a one-day-or-less introduction to your destination on one of our separate Day Tours.
Get your share of free time.
If you want to do some solo exploring or maybe just need a nap (it happens to the best of us), our itineraries feature built-in free time to let you do your thing.
G for Good
When you travel with us, you see our commitment to making travel a force for good is more than just words on our website — it’s in everything we do. G for Good stands for all of the social, environmental and ethical good we create as a business which helps to fuel Community Tourism. Our efforts to preserve and conserve our world fall under two approaches: Acting Responsibly, which is our commitment to improve the sustainability of our own operations, and Creating Positive Impact, which focuses on leaving the right impact in the places we visit.
Acting Responsibly
- Animal Welfare
We recognize the importance of animal welfare. That’s why we have worked with experts from World Animal Protection, The Jane Goodall Institute and The World Cetacean Alliance to draw up a robust policy, which builds on the ABTA Global Welfare Guidelines for Animals in Tourism and puts the needs of the animals first. We want to ensure that all animals featured as part of our tours are treated humanely. - Child Welfare
It is critical that no child is ever harmed as a result of tourism. Travellers have the power to make a true impact in the communities they visit, and that’s why we actively work to ensure child welfare is protected in the places we operate. - Respecting local cultures
Connecting curious travellers with Indigenous communities is an essential part of our identity at G Adventures. We are committed to respecting the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people while ensuring that tourism supports their well-being. - Plastics Partnership Project
Plastic pollution is a huge global problem. G Adventures is working with our partners to eliminate as much single-use plastic on our tours as possible. - Traveller Conduct Policy
G Adventures believes travel should be a respectful, safe, and enjoyable experience for everyone. That’s why we have the Traveller Conduct Policy. This set of guidelines is designed to help establish a sense of safety, security, and enjoyment for all on any of our tours. - LGBTQ+ inclusivity at G Adventures
Our team around the world deeply values diversity, inclusivity, and the power of community. Every traveller deserves to feel valued and to be their authentic selves on their journey with us. See all of the ways we wholeheartedly embrace and support the LGBTQ+ community on tour, in our culture, and around the world.
Creating Positive Impact
- Planeterra
Established in 2003, Planeterra is our non-profit partner dedicated to ensuring communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides. They help empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours. - Ripple Score
For years we’ve talked about how we do travel differently, especially when it comes to working with local businesses and services to build our tours. You deserve to see exactly what we mean when we say we’re changing lives through travel. - G Values Fund
Our CEOs are talented guides dedicated to making our tours as amazing as possible. But leading tours is hard work, and not everyone wants to do it forever. The G Values Fund is a microloan program instituted by G Adventures that helps former CEOs transition to life once their days on the road are through by helping them establish self-sustaining businesses that can be linked to G Adventures tour itineraries. That way, they continue to share all of their amazing knowledge, experiences, and personality with our world — just in a different way.
As mentioned above, most of the meals on this tour are included in the tour price. When a meal is not included, this is because there are often many options available - we would like to give you the opportunity to explore a bit and test the local cuisine yourself. In these cases, your CEO will be able to suggest some good local restaurants or options for you to choose from. All included meals will be prepared from fresh local produce. The majority of the shopping for foodstuffs will be done before the trip departs, and fresh goods, such as meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, will be bought en route during the trip from supermarkets, local shops and markets. Breakfasts will generally consist of breads and cereals, if time allows a warm breakfast may be prepared. Many lunches will be provided en-route and will be light meals such as sandwiches and/or salads. All evening meals will be freshly-prepared hot meals, and will consist of a variety of continental and local dishes. Our cook will organize the meal preparation and lead the way here, but will prepare a duty schedule for ensuring a fair, rotating participation from you and your group members in the meal preparation and dish washing duties. Vegetarian meals and other dietary requirements need to be specified prior to arrival. Please note all bottled drinking water while on safari will be at your own expense.
What To Take
Additional Items:• Sleeping bag (required)Cold weather:• Long-sleeved shirts or sweater• Scarf• Warm gloves• Warm hat• Warm layersDocuments:• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)• Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)• Passport (required) (With photocopies)• Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)• Visas or vaccination certificates (With photocopies)Essentials:• Toiletries (required) (Shampoo, bodywash, soap, etc.)• Binoculars (optional)• Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)• Cash, credit and debit cards• Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)• Ear plugs• First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)• Fleece top/sweater• Footwear• Hat• Headphones (Noice-cancelling recommended)• Locks for bags• Long pants/jeans• Moneybelt• Outlet adapter• Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)• Reusable water bottle• Shirts/t-shirts• Sleepwear• Small travel towel• Sunglasses• Swimwear• Watch and alarm clock• Waterproof backpack cover• Windproof rain jacketHealth & Safety:• Face masks (Clients will be only be required to wear a face mask where it is mandated by local regulations.)• Hand sanitizer• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)Warm Weather:• Sandals/flip-flops• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)• Sturdy water shoes/sandals• Sun hat/bandana• SwimwearNote: Seasons in Africa are quite extreme. Winters can be really cold and summers will be really hot. If you travel during winter months (May to October) please ensure that you bring warm clothing and a suitable sleeping bag.
Group Leader Description
On this tour, you will be accompanied by two Chief Experience Officers (CEOs). The Chief Experience Officers (CEOs) will be the group manager and leader, cook and driver. They will provide information on the places where we are travelling, offer suggestions for things to do and see, and introduce you to our local friends. They will take care of the small things so you can concentrate on enjoying your adventure.All of our CEOs in southern and East Africa are experienced group leaders, with a broad knowledge base of the region’s history, cultures, and wildlife. Your leader will be from either southern or East Africa depending on which part of the tour you are on. All of our overland adventure vehicle (OAV) drivers are experienced in the routes travelled, and highly skilled in dealing with different terrains. All of our cooks will organize and lead the meal preparation, and have experience in cooking a variety of local and international dishes for large groups. In the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater to round out the team, along with your CEO, you will be accompanied by a local safari crew consisting of an expert driver/guide and camp cook. Your driver/guide is skilled and experienced driver and a certified safari guide, and is an integral part of the team. As well, your cook will prepare the camp meals to add some further local flavour to the trip. We also use local guides for some included activities where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting.
Change the world just by having the time of your life.
We have always believed in the life-changing power of travel, but for that power to exist we need to travel the right way. Since the very beginning, G Adventures’ vision for travelling responsibly has meant giving back as much — if not more — than what you take away. Yes, travel should be incredibly fun (have you been on one of our tours?), but we also believe travel needs to be a force for good. For you, for local communities around the world, and for the world itself — we call it “community tourism.” See how we do it below.
G For Good
A lot of companies use “sustainability” or “sustainable travel” to talk about exploring the world in a better way, but we’ve never been ones to follow in others’ footsteps or borrow out-dated ideas. Our commitment to making travel a force for good is different — so we call it G for Good.
It stands for all of the social, environmental, and ethical good we create as a business which helps to fuel community tourism. Which is… you ask? It means our tours are built on meaningful relationships with local communities and directly benefit the people and places we visit. Today, our definition of community tourism means that the communities we positively impact ripples far beyond these destinations, to include our employees, supplier and agent partners, small business owners, customers, social followers, and travellers like you.
G for Good is what makes us, us. With your help, we can make travel the force for good we’ve known it can be since our company was established over three decades ago.
Acting Responsibly
Our efforts to protect and conserve our world fall under two approaches. The first, Acting Responsibly, is our commitment to improve the sustainability of our own operations. You can’t create change without taking action — so that’s what we’ve done. If you want to make sure your next trip follows these guidelines, all you have to do is travel with us!
Animal Welfare
G Adventures recognizes the importance of animal welfare. That’s why we have worked with experts from World Animal Protection, The Jane Goodall Institute and The World Cetacean Alliance to draw up a robust policy, which builds on the ABTA Global Welfare Guidelines for Animals in Tourism and puts the needs of animals first. We want to ensure that all animals featured on our tours are treated humanely.
Child Welfare
It is critical that no child is ever harmed as a result of tourism. Travellers have the power and responsibility to make a true impact in the communities they visit, and that’s why we actively work to ensure child welfare is protected in the places we operate. We were also the first global travel company to achieve Friend’s International ChildSafe certification.
Climate Action
With all the good global travel does for local communities, it’s an unfortunate truth that the industry produces environmentally harmful carbon dioxide. That’s why we signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and got to work on halving our carbon footprint by 2030. Want to know exactly how we and our travellers are going about it? Read on to review our full Climate-Biodiversity Action Plan.
Respecting local cultures
Connecting curious travellers with Indigenous communities is an essential part of our identity at G Adventures. We are committed to respecting the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people while ensuring that tourism supports their well-being.
Creating Positive Impact
Creating Positive Impact is our second approach to responsible travel. These initiatives focus on leaving the right impact in the places you visit with us.
Established in 2003, Planeterra is our non-profit partner dedicated to ensuring communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides. They help empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours.
Planeterra-supported initiatives
Our mission has always been a simple one — to help people thrive through solutions, not handouts. We do this by providing the resources and opportunities for local people in the areas we serve, enabling them to develop and strengthen their initiatives with support from Planeterra. Then, our network of travellers provide these communities with the long-term income to make these solutions sustainable.
Ripple Score
You deserve to see exactly what we mean when we say we’re changing lives through travel. Our Ripple Score does just that. On a scale of one to 100, this score shows you how much of your money spent in destination goes towards using local services on your tour. The higher the score, the more money that is staying in the local community. Look for it on your trip itinerary.
G Values Fund
Our CEOs are the best tour leaders the world has to offer. The G Values Fund helps them further provide amazing experiences to our travellers with low interest loans that bring their travel business ideas to life.
Grow one tree for every travel day
Help us spread love around the world — with Trees for Days! Thanks to a new initiative with Planeterra, we’ll grow a tree in your name for each day of your trip.
LGBTQ+ inclusivity at G Adventures
Our team around the world deeply values diversity, inclusivity, and the power of community. Every traveller deserves to feel valued and to be their authentic selves on their journey with us. See all of the ways we wholeheartedly embrace and support the LGBTQ+ community on tour, in our culture, and around the world.
Additional Responsible Travel Commitments
Here are more ways you can see our commitment to spreading G for Good around the world.
Go. Grow. Love.
Trees for Days, our latest initiative in partnership with Planeterra and Reforest, aims to spread love around the world — with trees! For each and every day a traveller is on an adventure with us, we grow a tree in their name. Armed with trees and a shovel, our mission is simple: to help communities around the world adapt to the growing impacts of climate change. Want to help spread the love with your very own grove of trees? All you need to do is book a trip — we’ll take care of the rest.
How do we spread love with trees? It’s easy.
With help from our partners, we work with local communities to grow and maintain our trees. Here’s how the magic unfolds:
- You go on an adventure
As soon as your trip is booked and paid for, we start sourcing your tree bundle — one tree is grown for every day of your travels. - We grow your trees
Our reforesting process gets underway! We grow, maintain, and make sure your trees have all the love they need to thrive in their new environment. - Watch your love unfold
Want to see the difference you’re making? Log in to your G Adventures account to track how many trees you have grown, where they live and, if you’re in the mood, add a few more to your grove!
Why do we love trees? Let us count the ways.
Trees are majestic, everyone knows that. But beauty and grace aside, trees play a vital role in restoring our planet. They absorb harmful gasses like carbon dioxide and release oxygen in exchange — hello, clean air! For a wide range of wildlife species, like three-toed sloths and macaques, trees provide crucial habitats, food, and shelter. And when natural disaster regrettably strikes — droughts, floods, extreme weather events — trees play a critical role in building resistance to the impact. So, yes, while trees are undeniably majestic, they’re so much more than that.
Our global tree-nitiative
Where in the world will your trees be spreading their love? To start, we’ve outlined multiple projects in dire need of reforestation. From Argentina and Uganda to Thailand and Nepal, you’ll help us grow trees in a wide range of communities all over the map.
Why travel with G Adventures?
We’ve been the leaders in small group adventure travel for 30+ years. How’d we get here? By listening to our travellers and giving them what they want: flexible itineraries, freedom to explore, smaller groups, safety and peace of mind, and locally based guides who show you your destination in a way you’d miss travelling any other way. What does the future of travel look like? This.
Dream big. Travel small.
The trip of your dreams doesn’t need a Hollywood-sized budget or years of planning. Simply join a small group of like-minded travellers that, like you, are eager to experience all the things that make our world worth exploring.
Join 10-to-12-ish fellow adventurers.
We keep our groups small to create a sense of camaraderie and allow for closer connections to the places and people you visit. Most of our land tours have no more than 16 travellers and usually average 10-12 people.
Solo travellers, step right up
All our trips are solo-traveller-friendly, so you can enjoy the safety, support, and camaraderie we’re known for, even if you’re travelling alone. To keep costs fair, we’ll pair you with a same-sex roommate, or you can upgrade to My Own Room. Want trips exclusively for solo travellers? Check out our Solo-ish Adventures, designed for connection and packed with extra solo perks.
You’re going to need a smaller boat.
If you’re more the sea-faring type, we’d love to welcome you aboard any of the intimate vessels in our fleet. Whether you’re venturing to the Antarctic on the G Expedition or floating down French canals on a river barge, our ships carry a smaller number of passengers so you can enjoy your journey with plenty of room while still making connections.
Our guides are all CEOs.
At G Adventures, we don’t have tour guides — we have Chief Experience Officers. Our founder, Bruce Poon Tip, gave up his title as CEO because he felt they needed a proper title to reflect how integral they are to giving you an exceptional travel experience. (But don’t worry, they won’t be using any office attire or business jargon.)
Locally based = local experts.
Our CEOs are locally based, meaning they know the area you’re exploring like the back of their well-travelled hand. They plan visits around the best times to visit (or avoid) the most popular spots, can help you choose local restaurants, and generally give you great tips on the best things to experience. And since they usually speak the local language, they are your go-to resource for anything that comes up.
Local support. All. The. Time.
All CEOs are supported by our local operations teams 24/7. If something comes up that your CEO can’t help you with (however unlikely that is), the team nearby is there to support them in keeping you safe and happy.
Your experience is their focus.
We want you to have the time of your life — that’s why we hire the smartest, friendliest, bestest CEOs around. It’s their mission to make sure you return home feeling like your life has truly been changed.
Travel like you live there.
Since our very first tour, our goal has been to connect travellers with local communities on a deeper level. These connections go beyond personal ones to help give back to the wider community of your destination and ensure the people who live there get as much as they give. Changing the world is easy — all you have to do is have the time of your life.
You stay local. So does your money.
Multi-floor, thousand-room hotel behemoths? Not on our tours.
We go for the connections, charm, and authenticity that can only be found in local accommodations, transport, and restaurants. This also allows us to stay at smaller hotels and eat at restaurants with fewer people. Plus, using local service providers helps support the local economy and the people that make the places we travel so special.
Giving back through community tourism.
We’ve been pioneers of community tourism since the day we started. But what is that? It means we have always created our tours by building meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefiting the people and places we visit, including Indigenous peoples, women, youth — anyone who has traditionally been marginalized or undervalued. Today, our definition has grown: the communities we impact ripples far beyond our destinations. To us, it includes our employees, supplier and agent partners, small business owners, customers, social followers, and travellers just like you. There's incredible power in being part of something bigger than yourself. Want in?
Enjoy more flexibility than a yoga class
Adventure is all about having the freedom to follow your curiosity and discovering the unknown. No matter the Travel Style, our tours balance well-planned itineraries with the flexibility to do your own thing and explore a bit on your own. From optional activities to free time, you can choose an adventure that will feel truly like your own.
Whoa, that’s a lot of tours.
We have tons of tours. No, really. Tours for you, your family, your friends, your buddy from work who really likes nature documentaries. First trip ever and want to see all the highlights? Got that. Heading to your seventh continent and want to be treated like the experienced wanderer you are? Got that too. Our 10 unique Travel Styles group tours together into themes based on what you like or how you want to travel.
Personalize your tour.
Squeeze every last drop of adventure out of your tour by customizing it to your liking. Add on amazing optional activities throughout your tour like hikes, local cooking classes, or helicopter rides depending on where you’re headed. Want extra time for exploring? Book pre- or post-trip accommodations before or after your tour. Or let us give you a one-day-or-less introduction to your destination on one of our separate Day Tours.
Get your share of free time.
If you want to do some solo exploring or maybe just need a nap (it happens to the best of us), our itineraries feature built-in free time to let you do your thing.
G for Good
When you travel with us, you see our commitment to making travel a force for good is more than just words on our website — it’s in everything we do. G for Good stands for all of the social, environmental and ethical good we create as a business which helps to fuel Community Tourism. Our efforts to preserve and conserve our world fall under two approaches: Acting Responsibly, which is our commitment to improve the sustainability of our own operations, and Creating Positive Impact, which focuses on leaving the right impact in the places we visit.
Acting Responsibly
- Animal Welfare
We recognize the importance of animal welfare. That’s why we have worked with experts from World Animal Protection, The Jane Goodall Institute and The World Cetacean Alliance to draw up a robust policy, which builds on the ABTA Global Welfare Guidelines for Animals in Tourism and puts the needs of the animals first. We want to ensure that all animals featured as part of our tours are treated humanely. - Child Welfare
It is critical that no child is ever harmed as a result of tourism. Travellers have the power to make a true impact in the communities they visit, and that’s why we actively work to ensure child welfare is protected in the places we operate. - Respecting local cultures
Connecting curious travellers with Indigenous communities is an essential part of our identity at G Adventures. We are committed to respecting the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people while ensuring that tourism supports their well-being. - Plastics Partnership Project
Plastic pollution is a huge global problem. G Adventures is working with our partners to eliminate as much single-use plastic on our tours as possible. - Traveller Conduct Policy
G Adventures believes travel should be a respectful, safe, and enjoyable experience for everyone. That’s why we have the Traveller Conduct Policy. This set of guidelines is designed to help establish a sense of safety, security, and enjoyment for all on any of our tours. - LGBTQ+ inclusivity at G Adventures
Our team around the world deeply values diversity, inclusivity, and the power of community. Every traveller deserves to feel valued and to be their authentic selves on their journey with us. See all of the ways we wholeheartedly embrace and support the LGBTQ+ community on tour, in our culture, and around the world.
Creating Positive Impact
- Planeterra
Established in 2003, Planeterra is our non-profit partner dedicated to ensuring communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides. They help empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours. - Ripple Score
For years we’ve talked about how we do travel differently, especially when it comes to working with local businesses and services to build our tours. You deserve to see exactly what we mean when we say we’re changing lives through travel. - G Values Fund
Our CEOs are talented guides dedicated to making our tours as amazing as possible. But leading tours is hard work, and not everyone wants to do it forever. The G Values Fund is a microloan program instituted by G Adventures that helps former CEOs transition to life once their days on the road are through by helping them establish self-sustaining businesses that can be linked to G Adventures tour itineraries. That way, they continue to share all of their amazing knowledge, experiences, and personality with our world — just in a different way.
About G Adventures
We’ve been the leaders in small group adventure travel for 30+ years. How’d we get here? By listening to our travellers and giving them what they want: flexible itineraries, freedom to explore, smaller groups, safety and peace of mind, and locally based guides who show you your destination in a way you’d miss travelling any other way.
The trip of your dreams doesn’t need a Hollywood-sized budget or years of planning. Simply join a small group of like-minded travellers that, like you, are eager to experience all the things that make our world worth exploring.
Our guides are all CEOs.
At G Adventures, we don’t have tour guides — we have Chief Experience Officers. Our founder, Bruce Poon Tip, gave up his title as CEO because he felt they needed a proper title to reflect how integral they are to giving you an exceptional travel experience. (But don’t worry, they won’t be using any office attire or business jargon.)
Locally based = local experts.
Our CEOs are locally based, meaning they know the area you’re exploring like the back of their well-travelled hand. They plan visits around the best times to visit (or avoid) the most popular spots, can help you choose local restaurants, and generally give you great tips on the best things to experience. And since they usually speak the local language, they are your go-to resource for anything that comes up.
Local support. All. The. Time.
All CEOs are supported by our local operations teams 24/7. If something comes up that your CEO can’t help you with (however unlikely that is), the team nearby is there to support them in keeping you safe and happy.
Your experience is their focus.
We want you to have the time of your life — that’s why we hire the smartest, friendliest, bestest CEOs around. It’s their mission to make sure you return home feeling like your life has truly been changed.
About G Adventures
We’ve been the leaders in small group adventure travel for 30+ years. How’d we get here? By listening to our travellers and giving them what they want: flexible itineraries, freedom to explore, smaller groups, safety and peace of mind, and locally based guides who show you your destination in a way you’d miss travelling any other way.
The trip of your dreams doesn’t need a Hollywood-sized budget or years of planning. Simply join a small group of like-minded travellers that, like you, are eager to experience all the things that make our world worth exploring.
Our guides are all CEOs.
At G Adventures, we don’t have tour guides — we have Chief Experience Officers. Our founder, Bruce Poon Tip, gave up his title as CEO because he felt they needed a proper title to reflect how integral they are to giving you an exceptional travel experience. (But don’t worry, they won’t be using any office attire or business jargon.)
Locally based = local experts.
Our CEOs are locally based, meaning they know the area you’re exploring like the back of their well-travelled hand. They plan visits around the best times to visit (or avoid) the most popular spots, can help you choose local restaurants, and generally give you great tips on the best things to experience. And since they usually speak the local language, they are your go-to resource for anything that comes up.
Local support. All. The. Time.
All CEOs are supported by our local operations teams 24/7. If something comes up that your CEO can’t help you with (however unlikely that is), the team nearby is there to support them in keeping you safe and happy.
Your experience is their focus.
We want you to have the time of your life — that’s why we hire the smartest, friendliest, bestest CEOs around. It’s their mission to make sure you return home feeling like your life has truly been changed.
